The latest portable light from Bocci is a luminous marvel

When electric light first entered the home, it revolutionised how we lived – though it came tethered by unsightly wires and often a harsh, unflattering glow. As technology has evolved, designers have been edging closer to recapturing the warmth and magic of candlelight – from softer LEDs that are easier on the eyes, to convenient rechargeable lamps that can be carried from room to room like lanterns.

Last year, Canadian lighting company Bocci ventured into this growing field with the launch of 14p, a portable iteration of its much-loved 14 Series from 2005. The compact glass light glows with a candle-like softness, marking a new chapter for the studio best known for its sculptural, hardwired installations.

'Improvements in battery performance, light quality, and control have opened new opportunities to approach our work with greater freedom,' a brand spokesperson told Wallpaper*. 'We’re now able to design pieces that maintain the same quality of light and material integrity as our wired systems, while extending the ideas behind them into more flexible contexts.'

Now Bocci continues that exploration with 118p, a wireless version of Bocci co-founder Omer Arbel’s 2023 118 series. Each delicate orb is formed by blowing molten glass into a reusable steel cage. As air is introduced, the glass expands to fill the open spaces within the framework. Heat keeps it pliable while gravity draws it downward, creating elongated contours and feather-like impressions – subtle ‘stretch marks’ that record the moment of its making.

‘The 118 is the result of a process where glass and form interact,’ says Arbel. ‘The mould guides the shape, but the material’s response – its flow, stretch, and texture – defines the final object. The portable 118p captures this process in a single sphere, with each light recording its own making.’

Hand-formed in Bocci’s Vancouver studio, the swirling surface of each piece is totally unique. The 118p is available in clear (US$1,000), bronze, grey and green (US$1,300).

'The launch of 118 as a portable light continues our exploration of how our ideas can exist beyond fixed installations,' the brand spokesperson explained. 'As our second portable piece, it reflects an interest in light that is not bound to a place, a work that can move, travel, and shift between interior and exterior spaces while remaining true to the material thinking from which it originates. '

The 118p launches today via bocci.com